Living in a major urban area, you usually miss out on a lot of the cool/nerdy astronomical phenomena, like meteor showers, due to the amount of light pollution. But not so tonight (Feb. 20): even city dwellers should be able to view a total lunar eclipse, from about 8:43 p.m. (E.S.T) till a few minutes past midnight. If you don't want to crane your neck upward for that long, the "total" part of the eclipse goes from 10:01 until 10:51, according to NASA.

Of course, an eclipse is not visible if clouds block your view of the moon. If that's the case in your area, check out the Clear Sky Clock, which lists astronomers' forecasts and could offer a nearby location where the clouds have lifted enough for viewing.

Then next total lunar eclipse won't take place until December 21, 2010.

Total Lunar Eclipse: Feb. 20, 2008 [NASA]
'The Eclipse That Saved Columbus' [AFP]
Clear Sky Clock

Composite of a total lunar eclipse by Fort Photo.